The Light in Her Darkness
by breatheinthemagic
Summary: High School AU: Emma isn't a people person. Music is her friend, and she doesn't want anyone to stand in the way of their friendship. But maybe her hatred of people is because of her family that never really listens. Or the fact that she doesn't have one friend in this big lonely world. Until Will, her peer counselor comes along. Everyone has their secrets, though.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there~! I'm back! So, um. This is kind of just an idea that I wanted to check out. They seem kind of OOC. Oh yeah, I've also become a ridiculous AU fan, so most of my Wemma fics will be AU. Tell me if I should continue?**

~x~

She hated her life so much. So much because of her little brother that got every bit of attention that their parents could spare.

She knew she could be so much more than the girl who had overprotective parents who were too busy to have a decent conversation with her.

She was okay, as long as she could stay in her room and write and sing and play the piano.

But of course, she couldn't sit in her room forever. She had to face the sick, cruel world.

It wasn't that she was goth or in despair or whatever. She dressed normally and did well in school, but she just didn't talk to people. She didn't like people, because people meant trouble.

Trouble meant heartbreak and pain, so she just didn't mess with people.

Until finally, her mother came into her room on that fateful day.

"Emma, sweetie, why was this in the trash?" her mom asked, holding a crumpled orange paper in her hand.

Emma rolled her eyes.

Her mother straightened the paper out so it's message could be clearly read:  
_  
Rockford High's Under the Stars Prom__  
__$80 Single; $120 Couple__  
__ Wednesday, April 17, 2013; 6p-12a_

"Em, don't you want to go to prom?" her mother asked.

Emma sighed.

"Mom, I just don't want to go, okay?" she said, getting up to go to her piano.

"No, Emma! It's not okay, anymore. I bought couple tickets already. You do well enough in school, but you never bring any friends home!"

"I don't /have/ friends, Mom. I'm just not the kind of person who has friends."

"I just wish you would try harder," her mother sighed.

Emma plugged her headphones into her piano and started to play, no longer listening to her mother.

"That's it," her mother sighed. "I'm calling the school."

~x~

The next day in AP Music Theory, a call was made and Emma got pulled out of class.

She walked to the Guidance Counselor's office, where waiting for her was a not-too-bad-looking boy her age with curly hair and the old, crusty guidance counselor.

"Mrs. Jameson, you pulled me out of Theory?" Emma asked, entering the office.

"Yes, your mother called me with a concern. But that's beside the point. This is Will Schuester."

"Schuester...what is that, German?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"Miss Pillsbury, Mr. Schuester is just another boy. However, he has volunteered to be a peer counselor."

"Peer counseling?" she asked skeptically. "No one else does peer counseling. There's nothing in the books about peer counseling."

"Well Mr. Schuester wants to be your peer counselor, and you will let him be."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"When do these sessions take place then, hm?" Emma asked.

"I can answer that," Will offered. "The diner, across the road. Right after school and whenever you need it."

"Can't I do this over the phone, or whatever?" Emma begged.

"No, you can't, Miss Pillsbury. Will just wants to help, and I think you'd find it beneficial to you to just let him."

"Okay, fine."

"Great, so your first session is today."

Emma's eyes widened.

"What? No, we can't do it today. I have plans," she pleaded.

"Plans?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, the plans consist of writing a new song, but-"

Will smiled, nodding and picking up his coat.

"Fantastic, then I'll see you later."

Emma stared after the stranger and shook her head.

"I cannot believe my mother is doing this to me," she muttered, getting a pass to get back to her favorite class.

~x~

She walked to the diner right after school and saw Will sitting at the booth furthest from the door.

Who was this kid anyway, and why did he have to peer counsel her? She hated being his charity case.

She quickly ordered a milkshake and a large fries, and then made her way to Will's booth.

"Hi, Emma. How are you?" he asked, gesturing for her to sit down.

"I'm fine, and you?" she asked as her fries arrived.

"Good. Do you have any questions for me before we begin?" Will asked.

"Yeah. How long have you been here?"

"A couple of hours."

Emma squinted.

"Oh, you're doing this to get out of class. I see. Clever," she praised, sipping her milkshake.

Will shook his head.

"No, I actually need it for community service," he explained.

"What? What juvenile delinquent center allows peer counseling as community service?"

Will chuckled.

"Juvi? Really?"

"What?" Emma defended.

"Do I look like a Juvi kid to you?" he asked.

"No, it's just...why would you voluntarily talk to me?"

Will's eyebrows crinkled.

"Why not?"

Emma bit her lip.

"People don't talk to you?" Will wondered.

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I don't like people. I don't talk to people," she sighed. "I don't let people in."

"You seem to be letting me in," Will said.

"That's what you think."

Will ate some of Emma's fries and they talked some more about their families, or rather, their lack of.

Will was an orphan, living on his own because he had just turned eighteen and his uncle was assistant to the governor and supplied him an allowance.

Emma explained nothing more than the fact that she had parents, but sometimes it felt like she didn't, and a little brother who made her that way. Music was her family.

"You're a singer?" he asked.

"Singer, songwriter, guitar, piano, clarinet, saxophone, violin player."

Will nodded, impressed.

His phone rang and he sighed.

"I have to go to class," he muttered.

"What? School's over for today!"

"Yeah, I have this...other thing. Tomorrow, okay?" he asked, scribbling something on a napkin. "Here's my number. You can text me after five. I'll see you tomorrow."

~x~

"Em, how was-" her mother who'd just got home from work began, stopping as she noticed that Emma was texting. "Who is that?"

Emma shrugged.

"You're texting! Who?" her mom asked, peeking.

"Mom! Stop!" she said, pulling her phone away. "It's no one!"

Her phone beeped and she looked at what the screen said.

_Will (4:35)__  
__ I think you're great._

"Who's Will?"

"Ugh, Mom!" she cried, running up to her room.

"C'mon, Freaky Deaky, who's Will?" she heard her mom say.

Emma sighed.

Maybe some other day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, this chapter is probably confusing towards the end...but I swear the next chapter (which will be more Will's POV than Emma's) will explain it.**

~x~

Ugh, she couldn't believe this was happening.

Not again.

"Emma!"

She groaned, pulling a pillow over her ears.

"Emma, wake up!"

She sighed, shutting her eyes and whispering curses.

"Emma Jane Pillsbury! You get down here this instant!"

And finally, she picked herself up and began to walk down the stairs.

"_Yes_, Mother?" she asked with her usual morning tone.

"What took you so long?"

"I was asleep."

Her mom shook her head and picked up her briefcase.

"I have to go to work early for the next few months, so you're responsible for dropping Jacob off to school."

Emma did a double take.

"What? No. No, no, no, no, and no. Mom, I can't be late for school today."

"Emma, the school's only five minutes away!"

"Yeah, driving, sure! But it's ten minutes walking, and then another ten to get to school!"

"I have to get this promotion, and you have to start getting ready now, Em. I'm sorry. The babysitter will be back in time so she can pick Jacob up after school. I'll see you tonight," her mother said, ending the argument as she walked out the front door.

"Haha!" her brother squealed.

"Ugh," she muttered, running upstairs to get ready.

~x~

She walked her little brother to school as her mother had asked.

He had poked her, annoyed her, and quite frankly just pissed her off the whole way there.

And he even stopped six times to tie his shoes.

Because he wouldn't be late because of it. Emma would.

So she dropped him off and she looked at her watch, but she knew she couldn't make it.

She would be late and there would be no helping it.

She made the call because she needed him. She didn't realize it, but she needed to yell and scream and just talk to him because for some crazy reason, he made things better.

"Em? Shouldn't you be at school?" a sleepy Will asked.

"Yeah, but I had to drop my idiot brother off at school! We walked, and he kept stopping and now I'll never make it on time."

"I'll come pick you up."

"What?" she asked, hearing rustling on the other side of the line.

"I'm on my way. You're where, exactly?"

"Rockford Elementary."

"Okay, I'll be two, maybe three minutes."

"You don't—"

But just like that, a shiny, white BMW convertible was pulling up right in front of her eyes.

"Come on, Em. You can't be late!" Will called, pulling the passenger door open for her.

Emma nodded, pulling her backpack up and sitting in the passenger seat.

Will hit the gas pedal and started to drive towards the school.

"Will, thank you so much."

"Why were you taking Jacob to school?" Will asked.

"My mom made me."

"I'm so sorry, Em."

"And she's making me do this for the next few months! How am I supposed to do _this_ for the next few months?"

Will pulled up in front of the school.

"Wait, what? The next few months?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even called you."

"No, it's not that. I'll drive you. I'll come and pick you and Jacob up in the morning and drive you to school."

"Don't you have to go to school?" Emma asked.

"I go to a school withflexible scheduling, Em. I'll be fine. If you are."

"If it isn't a problem, I would really appreciate that. I'll pay you the gas and–"

"Em, don't bother. You can pay me in fries and milkshakes, okay?"

They both laughed, causing Emma's backpack to fall open.

"Oh, crap. Not again. I keep telling them I need a new backpack," Emma muttered.

Will nodded, helping her pick up her stuff.

"Okay, well I have to get going. I'll see you later."

"Alright, good," Will said, opening Emma's door so she could get out. "I'll see you later."

She smiled, wanting to say something more.

Will chuckled one last time, gave her a hug, and then left so she could get to class.

~x~

Emma found that she was just very curious about Will.

Why didn't he go to Rockford High if he lived so close to the school? Actually, she could answer that question quite simply, now that she'd seen his car. He probably went to a private school. Why did he come to the diner hours before she did? And how in the world did he have the time to drive both her _and_ her brother to school?

She dug through her backpack looking for her notebook. Sure it only had one empty page left, but she could still write all over it. She could still write poems and songs…oh dammit, where was it?

She kept digging.

She must have left it in Music Theory. Right?

Maybe she could get a pass to just pick it up…maybe…

Her thoughts were shattered as the last bell rang.

No. _No._

She had to get to her notebook. She had to get to her notebook because it had secrets. It had her family and her promises and her thoughts and her crushes and her music.

She ran to the Music Theory classroom where her teacher, Mr. Loer, was still sitting.

"Emma? What are you doing in here? You should be out at the buses."

"No, no. It's fine, Loer. I just…I need to find it."

"Find what?" he asked.

She didn't reply, but instead walked straight to her desk.

"Oh, that little journal you doodle in during class?"

Emma stared at him for a moment.

"Who's Will?" he wondered.

"What? Do you have it, Loer?"

He chuckled.

"No, I don't. But that's not to say that this is the first time you've left it here, Em."

She shook her head.

"No, whenever I can't find it, it shows up in my locker the period after, Loer," she began. After realizing his point, she replied, "He's no one."

"He cannot be no one. You wrote about him, Pillsbury."

She sighed.

"He's my peer counselor, okay? That's all. Look, if it's not here, I have to get going."

"To the diner?" he teased.

She looked back.

"You know, you may be my favorite teacher, but that's still creepy," she muttered, walking away, listening to her teacher laugh after her.

~x~

She rushed into the diner and to their usual booth.

"Will, I'm so sorry that I'm late!" Emma said quickly, slipping into her seat.

Will smiled, pulling a paper bag out from the spot next to him and placing it on the table.

"What is this?" she asked.

He shook his head, urging her to open it.

"William, what is going on?"

He sighed.

"Emma, just open it, would you?"

She followed his order and found a leather notebook with almost three times more pages than her original one.

Her head snapped up quickly.

"Wait, how did you know I needed a new journal?" she asked.

He then pulled out her old ragged journal.

Her eyes widened.

"_You _had my journal?"

Will nodded.

"Was that bad?"

Her heart pounded.

"Did you read it?"

He shook his head.

"No."

"No?"

"Emma, I swear that I did not read it, okay? You had the marker on the last page, so I thought I would pick up a new one."

She smiled.

"Thank you, Will."

He laughed.

"Okay, how about I go and order your fries."

He nodded as she walked away, and pulled out his laptop.

He pushed the top open and typed quickly.

_Subject is sensitive to her journal, does however continuously keep her promises._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hopefully this clears up any confusion about Will, and if not, feel free to say something in the reviews or PM me. Thank you again for reading and reviewing. I hope this doesn't feel too rushed. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Glee.**

~x~

"'_Teenage Depression and What Causes It'," his professor read out loud. "Mr. Schuester, what is this?"_

"_It's my dissertation," Will answered quickly._

_His teacher chuckled._

"_Dissertation? As in Philosophy?" _

_Will nodded._

"_And how do you plan on getting a teenager to help you do this?"_

"_Professor Jameson, you said your wife was a guidance counselor at Rockford High, right?"_

"_Well yes, Will. But how would you persuade someone to be completely normal around you?"_

_It was Will's turn to chuckle._

"_I'm only eighteen, Professor Jameson. They'll still trust me."_

_His professor nodded._

"_You really are a prodigy, aren't you, Schuester?"_

~x~

"Stop! Will, I swear, if you take one more ste—" Emma squealed before finding herself pelted with snowballs.

"Take _that_, Pillsbury!" he yelled, ducking behind the snow fort he'd built. "Ouch!"

"Ha!" Jacob screamed.

More and more snowballs were pelted and Emma had never laughed more.

And in all of the years that she'd lived in Ohio, she'd never been in a snowball fight or rode on a sled or anything. She'd watched the other kids in her neighborhood play together all the time, but she'd never even attempted to get out there. And maybe it was stupid that she never tried, but her mother didn't try to push her either. But Will could. Will could make her do anything.

"Emma, I'm cold," Jacob groaned.

For the first time since Jacob began talking six years ago, Emma smiled at her little brother and nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

They walked into Emma's house, where her parents still barely spent more than seven hours in at a time.

"Hot cocoa?" Will asked, opening the cabinet.

"Yessir, Schue-y!" Jacob replied, still as jumpy as ever.

Jacob had been a little bit warmer around Emma now that he had spent more time with Will.

Emma had simply been more friendly and tolerable now that she had a friend. Now that she had someone to believe in.

Will handed Emma a mug and placed one in front of Jacob.

"Emma, so I had this brilliant idea once this snow melts away."

Emma laughed.

"Okay, what?"

"So how would you feel if I told you that I was going to take you to get your driving exam?"

Emma looked at him in disbelief.

"Wait, Will. Seriously?"

He nodded.

"I'm totally serious. You need to get out more, and you can't get around with just walking and me driving you around."

"You better not be kidding, Will."

"I am not. Once all the snow melts away, we're doing this."

Emma smiled. So that's why he was awesome.

His phone rang.

"I have to run, Em. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Will. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll text you later," he said, hugging her good-bye.

"Alright, be careful!"

"I will!" Will shouted as he walked out the door.

Emma hadn't been hugged in years.

~x~

As he walked out the door, he texted the person who'd texted him before.

_Harry (6:06 pm)  
Where are you? My parents are here and they want to meet my roommate._

He re-read his text:

_Will (6:08 pm)  
Doing research for the dissertation. Be there in a second._

And then press 'SEND'.

He got into his car and drove to his dorm.

He peeled off his coat, boots, and scarf, leaving him in his jeans and button-up shirt.

"This is my main man, Will! Mom, dad, this guy is totally awesome and such a genius. He flew through middle and high school and now he's here, only eighteen."

Will smiled, shaking hands with Harry's parents.

"Mr. Walsh, Mrs. Walsh, it's a pleasure to have you here. I'm sorry that I'm late, I was doing research for my dissertation."

"You're going to get your PhD?" Mr. Walsh asked, impressed.

"Yes, sir. That is the plan."

As they all sat down at the dinner table, Mrs. Walsh continued to ask questions about his dissertation.

"What is it about?"

"Teenage depression, mostly. It'll be ground breaking if I can get further into the teenage mind."

"You're a teenager yourself, sure. But how are you getting your information? You're clearly advanced."

"I have a test subject, actually. She's a local and knows me as her peer counselor. She's really helped me out so far."

"That's fantastic, now, Harold," Mrs. Walsh began, turning to her son. "Why aren't you getting your PhD, again?"

Will sighed under his breath, knowing that this was going to be a _long _dinner.

~x~

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"Will, get up! Dude, if you don't get up now, you'll miss your pick-up!"

He rolled over, looking at the clock.

_7:34 AM_

His eyes widened as he pushed the comforter off of him.

He changed quickly, poured a cup of coffee, and then ran out the door with his satchel and his papers.

Will drove fast, and he didn't see the next thing coming.

The black ice.

The other car.

The yellow light that the other car ran.

The metal crunching around him.

The airbag bursting and saving his life.

~x~

He blinked three times, the room was white and cold and for a second he thought, maybe he was still in the snow.

He reached up to his head, feeling a bandage.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," a man said, walking in.

"What happened? Did I get to Emma?"

"Emma Pillsbury? I think that's the young lady attached to your arm," the man said. "I'm Dr. Friarson. You have a concussion, some mild bleeding, but you're stable. You slipped on some black ice and crashed with the other car."

"How's the other guy?"

"He's alright. A broken arm, but he's fine."

"Oh, okay. Good. Thank you."

The doctor nodded, walking away.

Will turned and looked at Emma, who was sleeping next to him, and Jacob who was seated across the room.

He realized that their hands were clasped, so he squeezed her hand.

Emma's head shifted, and then lifted.

"Oh! You're awake!" she said excitedly.

"You should be at school, Em."

"I couldn't . I didn't have any tests or anything, and I felt really guilty that you're in here for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were on your way to pick Jake and me up. I'm really sorry."

"Please don't be sorry."

Emma nodded.

"Now that you're awake, I feel way better. Jacob hasn't eaten since this morning, so I'm going to take him down to the cafeteria."

"Alright."

As Emma ushered Jacob out of the room, Will looked around.

"Where's my—"

"Laptop? Got it right here, Will," Harry said, walking into the room and handing Will his laptop.

"Harry, thank goodness you're here."

"I should have woken you up earlier. I'm really sorry."

"What time is it?"

"Not that you should care, but it's noon."

Will shook his head.

"No, it can't be. I'm missing Jameson's class? Are you serious?"

"Dude, Jameson heard and he's fine with it. He's coming in to make sure that your concussion doesn't ruin your perfect little prodigy brain."

Will sighed.

"You can't be here. You and Jameson are going to ruin my dissertation if Emma finds out about you."

"Will, you're in the hospital. I can't change anything."

"Tell Jameson that he can only come once Em's gone."

Harry shrugged.

"Okay, man. Whatever."

He left the room quickly, leaving Will alone with his laptop to write again.

~x~

_November 17, 2012._

_Subject has established trust. Trust is hard to earn with most teenagers, especially those with difficult childhoods like the subject. And yet, trust has been earned. Very emotional. Not as depressed recently. Perhaps due to the fact that she knows she is no longer in solitary._

_Due to medical issues, checking out for today._

~x~

Will had excused himself from his meetings with Emma because he needed to get more of the written work done for his dissertation.

His problem was: he started feeling guilty about not telling Emma anything about the dissertation. He felt guilty because he knew that the only reason he was interested in her case _at all_ was because he was getting his doctorate and was stumped on his dissertation.

But most of all, he felt guilty because she thought he was a normal kid going to a private school without anyone. She thought he was a broken, lost kid, just like her. She didn't know the real him, and yet he was the only person she trusted. She didn't even know him.

He found himself wishing that she knew that he was a child prodigy. That he could play piano at a mini-Mozart level. That he only took three weeks of sophomore year of high school. That he was through with college and only had his PhD left. That he had his Masters in Psychology and Social Sciences. That he lived at Rockford University with a roommate, and not alone.

He just really wanted her to know about him.

~x~

She walked into the diner and to the booth furthest from the door.

He still wasn't there.

He wasn't there and he hadn't texted back.

She knew that he was pissed off at her.

She understood, because if it were her in that car going to pick Will up, she would have been pissed off.

But the truth was, she was the most pissed off. The most pissed off because she was still really, really scared. Will had every secret of hers in a box in her head, or so he thought.

She shook her head, pulling her journal out.

_You put me back together._

She had scribbled it millions of times. In different sizes, handwritings, styles.

Why was everything changing so fast? First, she was alone, and then she wasn't. Will had been there and it made her see in color and the world just seemed so much brighter. But now, he could have killed her. He could have killed her and that's why he hated her so much. That's why—

That's why he's here.

"Will?"

"Em, hey."

"You're here."

"Yes, I'm here. I'm sorry that I haven't been here, I just was really busy."

"That's alright."

"What's wrong?"

"You hate me. You only came here to tell me that you're finished, right?"

"No," Will said slowly. "I came here to just ask you if you could come here on Saturday."

"Saturday?"

"Yeah. I have to make it up to you, for not showing up. So you have to show up on Saturday."

"At first, you ask me, and now you're telling me that I _have _to go to this? I will show up here on Saturday," Emma confirmed. "And you don't have to make it up to me. I'm just glad that you're okay and you don't have that bandage on your head."

He smiled.

"Don't you owe me fries or something?"

She laughed.

"Okay, okay. I got it. I'll go get your fries. Strawberry shake?"

"Is that even a question?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow. This was really hard to write. Not that there's anything angsty, but I had a lot of writer's block, so it may be rushed and more OOC than usual... I promise to make up with the next chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing~!**

~x~

She woke up to someone shaking her.

The hands were much too weak to be her father's, and much too strong to be Jacob's. And too masculine to be her mom's.

"Emma Jane Pillsbury! I told you to show up at the diner on Saturday and you are going to be _late_ for your exam!"

She blinked quickly, staring up at Will.

"My exam? I took the SATs already. Last year. It's November."

"The snow _melted_, Emma! It's melted, and now you can go get your driver's license!"

She sat up, almost hitting Will in the head.

"Today? Today!"

She pulled herself out of bed and made Will stand outside while she changed.

She popped outside of her room in her skinny jeans and her lucky shirt, as she'd told Will.

Will smiled, telling her dad that she would only be gone for a few hours and that Jacob would just be upstairs, still asleep.

Emma slipped into the familiar passenger seat of Will's car.

"Are you nervous?" Will asked, turning the engine on.

"No. I'm just really, really excited," she stated, looking at him. "It's the first thing I'm doing that is a step towards the future. Thank you for being here for this."

Will nodded, grinning as she took his hand and squeezed it.

"I will always be here."

~x~

As they arrived at the DMV, Will squeezed her hand as she'd done.

"You're going to do amazing, Em."

She squealed, letting go of his hand and walking out of the car.

~x~

She took the test, awaiting nervously with Will by her side for the result.

She hoped and prayed that she had passed because her mom had told her that she "probably wouldn't, seeing as she'd never driven before (because her mom wouldn't let her) and never studied for more than three hours.

Oh, how she hoped that she passed.

As her proctor came out of his office, he held her result in her hand with a neutral expression.

He held out the paper, but Emma couldn't reach it before Will got to it.

He read it easily, taking a deep breath before saying anything.

Emma looked at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"You passed!"

She laughed and hugged him tight, knowing that she would never have done this at all without him.

"Miss Pillsbury, that means you have to take your ID Picture now," her proctor said.

Emma nodded, pulling away.

"How do I look?" she asked.

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ears.

"Perfect."

She smiled before the proctor walked her away to take her picture.

As she left, Will took out her phone and called Harry.

"Hey, man. What's up?" his friend asked.

"She has pretty eyes," Will blurted.

"What?"

"She has pretty eyes. And a nice smile, but she doesn't smile that much unless we're alone. Do you think that could mess up my dissertation?"

"Will, would you just shut up?"

"What? Why?"

"Dude, you're totally falling for her. Oh, I've gotta go. Kimmy's here. Good luck man."

Will sighed, putting his phone away.

He wasn't falling for her.

No, that could ruin up the dissertation.

He was _only_ doing this for the dissertation.

"Will! Come on, I'm gonna drive us to get ice cream!"

"Ice cream?" he laughed.

"Yes!"

"Alright, alright. Let's go," he said, walking out with her.

~x~

As he pulled up into the dorm garage, he couldn't stop thinking.

As he walked up the steps to his room, he couldn't stop thinking about her smile.

As he unlocked the door, he couldn't stop thinking about her eyes.

As he walked past his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend making out on the couch, he wondered if she would ever kiss him.

As he changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth, he wondered what she'd look like in his clothes.

As he laid down on his bed, he wondered if he would ever own one with her and sleep next to her in it.

As he turned the lights, he wondered how she'd feel in the dark. Not naked or anything, just…how she felt.

As he pulled his covers over his head, he wished that she was in his arms.

As he fell asleep, he still couldn't stop thinking about her.

~x~

He didn't have to drive her to school anymore, but he did anyway.

He did it because that was their thing.

She makes the coffee for him and puts it in the thermos she bought for him at Wal-Mart, and he drives her and Jacob to school.

"Hey, Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come to dinner on Thanksgiving?"

They pulled up to Jacob's school where he got out of the car and walked to his class.

"Isn't Thanksgiving more of a family thing?" Will asked, starting to move again.

"Well, yeah. But you don't have a family, and I can't stand mine. My cousins will be there too, and it's basically a brag-fest. It would help tons if you showed up."

Will smiled.

"Yes, I will show up to Thanksgiving."

As they pulled up to the high school, Emma thanked him profusely.

"I'll see you later?" she asked.

"I can't, actually. I have a paper to finish."

"Oh, yeah. Okay, that's fine," she said walking away.

"Em, wait," he sighed, walking quickly to her.

"I'm gonna be—"

He kissed her quickly, because he needed to see what it felt like to be hers for a few seconds.

As they pulled apart, Emma smiled.

"I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded.

"Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

**So. I'll just be quick. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

~x~

He brought a dish.

A strange dish, casserole. Or that's what it was meant to be.

Will couldn't cook for his life.

He showed up to Pillsbury Thanksgiving in a blue dress shirt and a black tie under his black sports coat that matched his black slacks. He'd read somewhere that blue made people think you were trustworthy. Which was good because he was a big fat liar. Not that he noticed.

He knocked on the door, feeling fairly apprehensive.

What should he say? Who would he be introduced as? Why was he so nervous about this?

What her family thought of him wouldn't matter, because in a few months she would mean nothing to him. She would simply be part of his dissertation.

He had his story planned out easily. He was a senior, like Emma, going to a private school a town away. He planned to go to Harvard (because that was always the plan until his parents died, which actually did happen) and become a lawyer (which was also the plan before the death of his parents).

It was true, that his parents had died. In a car crash, when he was ten. He lived with his uncle for a while, but decided, like Emma, that he couldn't take family anymore. Family was annoying and idiotic.

So why was he here?

The door swung open, and Emma was wearing a blue dress that matched his shirt and it made them look like _that_ couple.

"Hey, come on in," she said, gesturing for him to come inside. She led him to the center of the living room where everyone was seated and waiting for dinner. "Will, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Will."

He was properly introduced to the thirty-something people gathered in Emma's house.

"I'm Reed," a cousin with brown hair greeted. "And you're Will."

Will nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I'm Will."

Emma walked up to him, half-interrupting and half-saving him from that conversation.

"Hey, so, I just wanted to thank you again for coming. And you can sit next to me at dinner, okay?" she offered.

Will smiled, "Of course."

Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Emma looked away shyly.

"So are you two a couple?" Reed asked.

Emma shook her head.

"No, Will's just a friend. A good friend."

Reed smiled.

"I bet he's a good friend," she teased. "I bet he's an even better kisser."

She stood closer to Will, and Emma wanted to do nothing more than to push her away.

"I'm with Emma tonight," Will argued as Reed was close enough to breathe on him. "I'm with her."

"You're with her, but not _with_ her?"

"Yes, Reed. He's with me, but not _with_ me, okay?" Emma sighed.

"Dinnertime!" her aunt called, breaking up whatever argument was about to occur between Emma and Reed.

Emma rolled her eyes as she and Will took their spots at the table.

"You see why I hate my family sometimes?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I see it."

They said grace, and the family went around to talk about what they were thankful for.

Jacob said the Power Rangers, Julie said her boyfriend, Reed said her celebrity crush (to which everyone laughed at), her other cousins said thanks for good grades and family, just like the adults did. When it came to Emma, she didn't have to think at all.

"I'm thankful for Will," she said, looking at him.

"And Will?" her uncle asked.

Will looked at her and smiled.

"The future. And french fries."

Nobody laughed because she wasn't as funny as Reed, but she was happy because she had Will. Because she knew that french fries wasn't just fries, but the meetings they had every afternoon.

Because the future couldn't be _just_ the physical future. It couldn't be just the future because he had said it to her. _At _her.

Right?

"Music time!" an adult from across the table called.

Will looked at everyone, confused.

"This is the bragging part of Thanksgiving," Emma explained.

Reed played the saxophone, Julie played the flute, Jacob sang while the other cousins played the guitar.

Will watched as nobody asked Emma to play or sing.

"Em, go!" he whispered.

She shook her head.

"Why would I do that?" she asked.

"Everyone else is showing off, and you're just sitting here. I'll sing with you, if you want," he said, pulling her up.

"No!"

Her family stared at her.

"Emma's a fantastic singer," Will bragged.

Reed snickered.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure she is. She sure shows off at karaoke night with the family, doesn't she?"

"Will…" Emma argued.

"She _can_ sing, she's the best I've heard in a long while!"

"Well, it's been much too long then," Julie joked.

Emma sighed, as her other cousin took to the piano.

She looked at Will and shrugged, walking out onto her deck.

After a few moments, Will followed her out.

"Why didn't you fight for yourself?" he asked, shutting the door so they were cut off from the rest of the family.

She shook her head, just listening to the cold and the silence of the night.

"It's freezing out here, Em."

She didn't move.

"It's better than in there," she whispered. "They don't understand. I know they're my family, but they don't get it. I don't like to be in a crowded room with Reed. We used to be friends, but then she got really competitive and I turned into, well, me."

She pushed around the fresh layer of snow that had just appeared.

He pulled his sports coat off and draped it over her shoulders.

"I think you are _way_ better than Reed, Em."

She frowned, pushing the snow away.

"You're just saying that."

"I am saying it."

"Will, thank you for being here," she began. "But this is how the family works. They all show off and I sit in the corner alone. Except this time, I wasn't alone."

He stood next to her, pushing the snow away too.

"Then we should have changed it this time, since you aren't alone."

Emma laughed.

"We did change it. Somebody stood up for me."

Will nodded, half smiling.

"Why do you let Reed step all over you?" he asked finally.

"_Everyone_ loves Reed, Will. We went on vacation to the Caribbean last summer, and she had seven dates by the end of the first evening, and I had finished the last Harry Potter book for the third time. She's a prom queen, class president, head cheerleader kind of girl. She's the kind of girl that everyone wants to date, Will. And I'm the girl who can't hold a conversation with any guy at school."

"Em…"

"Will you please just listen? Just listen, because I need to talk about it, okay?"

Will nodded.

"I can't stand up for myself because it would look bad, and that's all. It's one of the five times, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Jacob's birthday, mine, and New Years' Eve, that I sit at a table with my parents and Jacob and eat. And the last thing I want is to make them look bad in front of the family. So that's why I don't stand up for myself, and that's why I let Reed step all over me."

"I'm sorry, Emma. I wish I could make it better for you."

She swept her arm across the deck railing.

"You do."

"Emma?" her mother said, calling from the kitchen window. "Come in, you'll catch a cold."

Emma shut her eyes.

"I'm coming, Mom!"

She looked at Will and exhaled.

"You can leave soon, if you want. The night's almost over."

"Okay, I actually should go soon," he whispered, hugging her.

"Okay."

He pulled away slowly, leaving his hand on her neck.

"But I'll see you when school comes back."

"Yes, okay. When school comes back, I'll see you."

He took his hand back and tilted his head towards the door.

"I'll just say good-bye then."

When Will had thanked Emma's family and left the house, Reed smirked.

"Looks like even the _hero_ gets sick of her."

Emma squirmed uncomfortably.

"Will's really cool," Jacob argued. "He takes us to school everyday and he plays with us in the snow. He's Emma's best friend and I like him."

Emma smiled, patting Jacob on the head.

"Thanks, Jake."

He nodded. "Don't mention it."

~x~

_In conclusion, the teenage mind is a minefield. Love, which is one of the most beautiful things in the world, can sometimes blind the fact that you do indeed love someone, such as the subject and her family. And sometimes that blindness can be the entire source of a teenager's depression, not a symptom. It may not be complete, but it's obvious that the causes of depression are love, friendship, promises, and solitude. I assure you that there's no way to prevent your teenagers from depression, except to make sure that they have someone to talk to and to listen to what they have to say. The teenage mind cannot be made happy through scientific names and medication, but through healthy relationships and care. It may sound too simple, but it's the fact. _

He nodded happily, pressed save, and then printed it out.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day that he would be free.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry for waiting so long to get this up! I hope this doesn't let you guys down. Enjoy! (Or not because angst.) **

**Oh, and this is the second to last chapter because I did want a happy ending so let's see how to do that, shall we?**

~x~

"I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you your grades until after Christmas break, but if you write down your email and leave it on my desk on your way out, I'd be happy to send you your midterm grades," Mr. Loer announced.

Emma smiled wide as the rest of her classmates left. She scribbled down her email and left it on her teacher's desk.

"I have to say, I'm kind of disappointed that nobody else in this class is as enthusiastic as you, Emma."

She shrugged, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Have a nice holiday, Mr. Loer."

He nodded.

"You too, Miss Pillsbury."

~x~

"Mr. Schuester, your dissertation was splendid," Professor Jameson praised, even though he'd received the dissertation the day after Thanksgiving.

"Thank you, Professor."

"It was also published."

Will's face brightened.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Mr. Schuester. Seriously! You're getting your PhD!"

Will nodded happily.

"What a wonderful Christmas present, hm?" he said.

"Yes, it really is."

"Have a good holiday, Professor."

"As should you, Will."

~x~

"Merry Christmas!" he said cheerfully, two presents in his hands.

"Will! Merry Christmas! Glad you could make it!" Emma smiled.

"You're just in time, only ten more minutes until presents are opened!" Jacob squealed.

Emma laughed.

"It's almost midnight? Will asked.

"Yes, it is. I hope dinner was okay."

Will smiled.

"It was great. Harry's a friend from school, and he invited me over. I'm sorry that I couldn't join you guys," he said to her family. "Merry Christmas."

Reed smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Will. Can I find you under some mistletoe later?" she teased.

"Um, no," he sighed, handing a present to Emma and Jacob.

"Oh, I got you something too," Emma said, pulling something out from under the tree.

"Thank you."

"It's midnight! Midnight, Em!"

Will smiled.

Emma and Will watched as the members of Emma's family tore their presents open, starting from the youngest and continuing on.

Jacob received a new gaming system, a few video games to go with it, a pair of socks, two books, and Will had bought him a fedora. Will had worn a fedora one morning during the drop-off, and Jacob kept asking to borrow it.

Emma was the fourth youngest, and Will counted on her turn, so they opened their presents together.

Will had gotten her a beautiful necklace that was gold with small diamonds in the music note charm.

Emma had gotten him a new thermos that had their pictures from the few months before.

They hugged each other thank you, and then continued to open Emma's presents.

She got clothes, a few gift cards, and a book.

Yup, Will's gift was the gift of the night.

~x~

Emma had fallen asleep on the couch with Will, and the rest of the family had slowly fallen asleep around them.

Emma stirred quietly, and Will hugged her.

"I love you," he whispered sleepily.

She only tucked her head deeper into his chest and fell asleep once again.

He kissed the top of her head and looked around the room.

It was over now. He was published. The dissertation was over, and he could tell her now, couldn't he?

But she liked _this_ Will Schuester. She liked the orphan who lived alone and went to private school. Not the child prodigy who just got his PhD.

He sighed, staring at Emma.

It was over. He could tell her, he decided. But tomorrow. After Christmas.

~x~

New Years' Eve rolled around, and Will had, again, joined the Pillsburys.

Him and Emma sat out on the deck for the most part, only going in to use the bathroom or get food.

"Do you think you'd like to come to prom with me?" she asked.

He smiled, "When is it?"

She pulled a flier out of her coat pocket, handing it to him.

He stared at it for a few moments, turned to her, and nodded.

"I'm allowed to come?" he wondered.

"Anyone who attends a high school can come. You can come," she explained happily.

His heart panged with jealousy for the boys that got to see her everyday. And then hatred, because those boys never tried to make her smile. Because he still hadn't told her.

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT!" the voices in the house yelled.

Will nodded.

"Okay, then. I'll come."

"SEVEN! SIX!"

"What's your resolution?" Emma asked.

"FIVE! FOUR!"

"To be more honest."

"THREE!"

"Yours?"

"TWO!"

"To be more bold."

"ONE!"

Emma smiled at Will.

"Oh, here it comes!" she said eccentrically.

Fireworks shot into the sky, just as they did every year since her next door neighbors had moved in when she was ten.

She took his hand and kissed him quickly, turning back to the fireworks.

"Happy New Year," she muttered, her face flushed.

"Happy New Year."

~x~

Emma had just gotten her grade for her midterm in Music Theory after Loer had emailed her Yahoo.

It was another perfect grade.

She couldn't wait to tell her mom. Emma would have to call her though, since she had moved out with Jacob. They were getting a divorce. Her parents.

Somehow, she should have known, right?

She shrugged, emailing her mom the news.

As she went back to Yahoo's home page, she saw an article that automatically pulled her in.

Teenage Genius gets PhD after discovering 'True Cause' of Teenage Depression

So she clicked it.

And she read through the article, and it was quite accurate, with splashes of humor here and there.

She expected the whole love, family, and friendship part of the cause.

But she certainly didn't expect the citations at the bottom.

_William James Schuester, 18, was raised in Lima, Ohio. He currently lives with his uncle in Rockford, OH, where he studies at Rockford University. He conducted his research by attaining a subject who was clinically depressed, and a teenager. _

She printed out the article, and then drove to Rockford University.

~x~

He stared at his computer screen with a huge smile on his face.

"It's published. Like, Yahoo published," he whispered.

"Dude, I know. That's the fifteenth time you've said that today."

Will laughed and nodded.

"I'm published. I'm a doctor. I am Dr. Schuester. I could go by that now, Harry. I have my doctorate."

Harry smiled.

"I know, man."

There was a knock on their door, and the two exchanged a look.

"You're the twenty-three year old, Harry. You should get it."

Harry shrugged, pulling the door open.

He took a step back when he realized who it was.

"Will? I think you might want to take this one."

Will tilted his head, walking into the doorway to find Emma.

Harry took his jacket off of the hook near the door and left.

"Emma? How did you find me?"

"'He currently lives with his uncle in Rockford, Ohio,'" she said simply.

"What?"

"'Teenage Genius gets PhD after discovering the 'True Cause' of Teenage Depression,'" she continued. Will realized she was holding a piece of paper in her hand.

_Crap._

"Emma, I can explain."

She shook her head and took a deep breath, her eyes watering.

"'He conducted his research by attaining a subject who was clinically depressed, and a teenager,'" she whispered.

"Em."

"What is this? Is this a joke?" she asked. "Tell me it's a joke."

"Well, Em…"

She gulped.

"I was just a test subject?"

"Emma, you are so much more than that. I swear."

She was shaking, her hands trembling.

"How do I know I'm not still part of your stupid dissertation?"

"You aren't! My dissertation's over," he explained, reaching out to hug her.

"No!" Emma yelled, taking a step back. "You don't get to touch me. You lied to me, Will."

"I didn't, not really."

"Is your name even Will?" she asked.

"Yes, of course it is."

"So that stupid story about your parents being dead?"

"They are. I'm just not all alone…"

"Jameson was in on this, wasn't she?"

"What?"

"Mrs. Jameson. She had to be in on it. So everyone's just a liar, because my mom was the one who told Jameson," Emma concluded. "I see. I get it."

"Emma, I don't—"

"You were using me, Will. Like it or not, you aren't that big of a genius if you can't figure out why I'm so pissed."

"I guess I'm not a genius, Em. I don't see why you're so upset. I mean, I didn't tell you about the dissertation, sure. But other than that…it seems that you're blowing this way out of proportion."

She laughed bitterly.

"Out of proportion. Good to know, then," she muttered, beginning to walk away.

"Wait, Em. I meant to tell you, though. I really did."

"When did you plan on doing that?"

"I was going to tell you when I told you that I love you, but I don't think that would be too appropriate right now, would it?"

She froze in front of his dorm building, no longer trying to walk away.

"You don't love me. You only used me for your stupid research. You don't love me," she repeated.

"I may have used you for my research, and I'm sorry. But I do love you."

"You probably have some other research project to do, right?"

"Emma, I don't have another project."

"I trusted you, Will."

"What?"

"You aren't getting why I'm pissed, so I'm telling you. I trusted you, and you were everything. You were my best friend and my confidant. I was so tired of feeling alone, and you were such a wonderful thing to have. You pushed me to do stuff that I needed to, and you weren't afraid to do that."

Will smiled.

"And it was all a stupid dissertation. Clearly, that didn't mean anything to you."

"Emma, I _love_ you."

"Tell me if you still love me if I ever talk to you again," Emma shouted, throwing the article at him.

_Teenagers are _so_ bipolar_, Will thought.

And he finally realized what he did wrong.

He had treated Emma as his lab rat, and she was pissed that he didn't care.

But he _did_.

He cared _so_ much. So much, and he had to go after her.

By the time he realized that, her car had already left.

~x~

In a few hours, Harry advised Will to call her.

After five rings, the call was transferred to her voicemail.

"Hey, this is Emma. Feel free to leave a message, unless you're Will Schuester. Just delete my number, would you, you stupid bastard? If you aren't Will, I'll call you right back."

"Emma, I know I'm not supposed to leave a message, but I'm sorry."

"Em, I'm really sorry."

"Em? Em, just call me back. Love you, bye."

"I love you, Emma. Call me back."

"I get it, Em! I'm an ass, but please just call me!"

"I'm going to come get you."

"Okay, your dad wouldn't let me in. Your mom wasn't home though."

"Am I missing something?"

"Emma?"

Finally, his call wasn't directed to voicemail, but instead to a sobbing girl.

"My parents are getting a divorce. They're getting a divorce, and I needed you. But I'm just a lab rat. That's what's wrong, Will. That's all. Now _please_ stop calling me."

She hung up quickly, and Will slammed his head on his desk.


	7. Chapter 7

**Mmm...I quite like my ending. Okay, so thanks to everyone for the support and for following this story to the end! I know it probably seems stupid for Emma to forgive Will so easily, but I think it was cute. Review if you can! :)**

~x~

[A few months later, April.]

She was getting ready for prom, because even though she didn't want to, even though she was broken, her mom needed it.

Her mom needed it because she was going through broken too. The divorce was just finalized.

No matter how much she said that she hated her mom, she needed to just do what she had to.

Emma was wearing an elegant emerald dress that brought out her dark brown doe eyes and her fiery red hair.

"Emma, you look absolutely beautiful," her mother said, snapping a picture.

"Thank you, mom."

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later, okay? I love you," she said, carrying her clutch and kissing her on the cheek.

"Be careful, darling! Don't break too many hearts!" her mother called as Emma left, even though it was much, _much_ too soon to make any jokes about heartbreak.

Emma stepped into her car, pulling out of the driveway and realizing she had almost run someone over.

She jumped out of her car to see that she'd hit the person's hand.

He was dressed in a tux, a corsage box crushed under Emma's car.

"Wow, that sucked," he said, trying to move his hand and failing.

"Will? What the hell are you doing?"

"It's prom night, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. But that doesn't…"

"You asked me to come with you, and I keep my promises. Maybe we could go to a hospital so I could get checked out?" Will asked.

Emma sighed, nodding.

They both got into the car.

~x~

The ride was silent.

Not that either of them were surprised, because really, what do you say to someone who you haven't talked to in months?

Okay, maybe normal people would have conversations about what has been missed in the other's life.

But let's face it.

One was a child prodigy and the other was his lab rat. There was _nothing_ normal about them.

Nothing at all.

"So—"

"Don't talk to me. I'm only taking you to the hospital because I hit you with my car, and if I'd driven away, I would have committed a felony."

They didn't talk again until they actually got into the examination room.

"I guess I'm sorry for hitting you with my car," Emma whispered, purely because she was still the good girl that she had been raised to be—depressed or not.

"It's okay," Will shrugged, still cradling his arm.

The doctor walked in.

"Well, Mr. Schuester, it seems your hand's broken, but in a few weeks, it should be okay."

"Thank you Dr. Thyne," Will said.

"We're going to cast it right now so that you two can get to your prom," Dr. Thyne said. "Right in this room."

Will got up, but Emma simply stayed seated.

"Your girlfriend can come if she wants."

"Em?"

They both looked at her expectantly, until finally she got up and followed them.

"So where do you two go?" the doctor asked.

"What?" Will said, turning his head suddenly.

"Where do you two attend?"

"I go to Rockford High," Emma replied sternly.

The doctor's face washed over with recognition.

"Oh! You're _Dr. Schuester_! Your full-published article was very inspiring. That Yahoo article did it no justice."

Emma rolled her eyes.

Will watched as she did, nodding and thanking the doctor.

"You've got quite a catch here, young lady. Have you read the article?" Dr. Thyne wondered.

Emma crossed her arms and sighed.

"I _was_ the article."

Will looked at Emma with apologetic eyes, but she had already turned her head.

The doctor finished casting Will's arm, and pushed the two along to get to prom.

They sat in the car, once again, driving to the school.

"I'm not sorry that I got published, Em."

"Don't talk to me."

"Emma, would you stop? Can't we just be grown-ups about this?"

Emma didn't answer, continuing the drive.

"I'm not sorry about the article."

She parked her car in the parking lot of the school, getting up out of the car.

"You can't not talk to me! I got hit by a car because I came here for you!"

"Will, I didn't ask you to," she said finally.

He had a pained expression on his face, but she didn't give in to him.

"I didn't ask you to come, because I was finally moving on. I was finally starting to be okay. You only got hit by _my_ car because you won't let me go," she explained, her voice calm (because she had screamed at him far too much, and he wasn't worth losing her voice. "I was letting go."

"I thought we were being grown-ups," he whispered.

"I am, Will. I'm not screaming, which is a miracle, considering my life is falling apart right now, okay?"

"No."

"And it must be easy to be grown-up for you. You've already graduated twice, with three degrees. You work as a freaking social scientist who's trying to cure cancer!"

Will shook his head.

"Cancer and social sciences are irrelevant," he muttered.

She scoffed, starting to walk away.

He took her arm, pulling her back to him.

"What?" she asked, once more.

"Stop walking away from me."

She sighed, licking her lips.

"Stop stopping me. I stopped needing you a long time ago, Will."

"I never stopped loving you."

She shook her head, pulling away.

"Not this_ again_. You keep telling me that you love me, and then you go and do stupid things like write a dissertation or get hit by a car," she argued.

"I didn't plan on falling in love with you, Emma. It was just supposed to be about the dissertation. I never planned to be in love with you. I never planned on being your best friend or your confidant, let alone be the person that loves you."

She was silent.

He took her hand using the one that wasn't broken, staring in her eyes.

"I never planned on thinking about you every second of every day. I never planned on wanting to be yours, Emma. Love isn't a science, and I'm no good at it. When it comes to love and romance and this, I'm just another teenager. I'm not a genius, and I really need you help with this," he begged.

In that moment, she realized that he was telling the truth. Yes, he'd done wrong by her. Dammit, he'd broken her when she was already shattered.

But he really did love her.

"I have a prom to get to," she whispered. "And I don't have a date, and you're pretty cute, and I kind of want to see the popular girls' faces when I walk in with you."

Will smirked.

"This doesn't mean that I'm not still pissed at you. It'll take you forever to make it up to me in French fries and strawberry shakes, though," she said, joking at the end.

"I look forward to it."


End file.
